Marjorie Billeter’s enthusiasm for science is infectious. She teaches both Chemistry and Anatomy & Physiology at Hopkinton High School, and at the mention of the word “cadaver” her eyes light up.
This year, Billeter’s class was radically altered, thanks to a gift from the Hopkinton Education Foundation. Through a grant, the HEF purchased an Anatomage table, the world’s first Virtual Dissection table.
Many colleges and universities use this tool, but there are only about 40 high schools in the nation that currently own the Anatomage table.
“It is definitely a benefit to our students to have this incredible technology to supplement their learning, and it will prepare them to succeed in college, whether or not they choose to pursue a health related career,” said Billeter.
The table comes loaded with digitized images of two cadavers, a male and a female. The female died of stomach cancer, and the male died of lymphoma, so they have distinct anatomical conditions. Being able to compare these two examples allows the students to see both normal and disease states, as well as recognize variations in normal human anatomy. The table also contains many examples of CT, MRI, and X-ray images, as well as physiological simulations of heart, eye, and nerve function, kinesiology, and pregnancy.
“It’s so much easier to teach these difficult concepts,” said Billeter. “Students can get hands-on with the table and discover how our body’s systems are entirely interconnected.”
The Anatomage table was made possible by a grant of $52,775 from the Hopkinton Education Foundation, a non-profit that relies on the generosity of the community to fund education projects beyond the school budget.
Said one student, whose parent moved to the area so she could attend school here: “there’s no way I would have had this kind of opportunity at my old school.”
